Lockdown: Police threaten residents, kill two in Anambra
The police in Anambra State, on Tuesday, allegedly killed two persons, while enforcing the lockdown order in the state.
The incident happened at the New Tire Market Area of Nkpor in the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that one of the victims died on the spot, while the other passed away while being rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
The incident triggered a protest by residents, who blocked the New Tire Market of the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway and made bonfires.
Vehicular and human movement to and from Onitsha from the Nkpor area were affected for several hours.
A resident told one of our correspondents that trouble started when the policemen on patrol ordered some youths at a pub to disperse.
The resident said, “The youth told the policemen that the place was their residence and questioned why they should be ordered into their rooms.
“They asked the police if the restriction on movement involved people not coming out in front of their houses to relax.
“The question angered the policemen and they started threatening to shoot; the situation became tensed and attracted a crowd.
“The youth insisted that since they were in front of their residences, the police could not force them into their rooms, particularly when there was no power supply.
“At that point, the policemen opened fire on them and rushed into their patrol van and zoomed off when they saw the lifeless bodies of their victims on the ground.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident.
He described the development as an unprovoked attack on the police patrol team.
Mohammed stated, “It was an unprovoked attack on the police patrol team with substances suspected to be acid by some miscreants in the area.
“They snatched the rifle of a policeman after pouring acid on him, which prompted the other policemen to use force to retrieve the rifle.”
Haruna said efforts were ongoing to restore peace in the area.
